Trail Love

This morning I met up with three friends from my training group and headed to a local conservation area where we picked up part of the Bruce Trail for my first official trail run! I wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew I was in good hands with at least one seasoned trail-runner in the bunch and I was excited to experience something new.

I absolutely loved it!

We set out with a plan of running an out-and-back for about 2-2.5 hours, following the blue markers. The trails weren't too technical, but we definitely had to keep our eyes on the ground. They were primarily single-track with roots, rocks and various other obstacles along the way. We climbed up and down as we weaved our way through the woods, all the while keeping an eye on our footing and watching out for those blue markers. (We only made one wrong turn and thankfully noticed right away.)

It was so quiet and peaceful, with only the sounds of the birds, our breath, footsteps on the soft earth and our legs rustling through the bush. (Except for the one time I heard a loud rustling nearby and thought we were being attacked by a bear forest critter and shrieked in panic.) It was so beautiful in the woods and I was constantly in awe of my surroundings.

We covered about 19K/12 miles in 2:16. You definitely have to slow down a lot out there and it was refreshing not to pay any attention to pace whatsoever.

We snapped a quick self-timer pic and chowed down on my power bars back at the car, as us newbies proclaimed our new-found love for the trails. I definitely plan to spend some more time out there this summer.

Cathy, Martin, Kevin, Marlene

My shoes and socks have seen better days!